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Spare Tire Well Stank

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by Webslog, Aug 13, 2023.

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  1. Webslog

    Webslog Junior Member

    Joined:
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    2011 Prius
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    Two
    Howdy friends. Search the threads, and of the many variations on the question "why does my Prius smell?", this was not one I could find.

    I had a 5-gallon water bottle dump over in the way-back. The cap leaked and emptied about 2 gallons. The weathertech caught most. When the smell began, I pulled the mat, the carpet-ed floor boards (no smell), the cargo tub (no water, no smell), and then the spare kit (tools, spare, styrofoam spacer) and found the source: schmutz/debris underneat the spare had soaked up the water and fermented.

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    IMG_4100.JPG

    I vacuumed out the schmutz, washed the entire well with hot bleach, dried it, then left the hatch open for the hot AF Tennessee sun to finish the job. Did the same with all of the parts of the spare kit.

    The smell is largely diminished, but lingers in the material on the floor of the well (looks like Dynamat).

    Has this happened to anyone else? Do I need to replace that material? And if so, is there any way other than a blowtorch to get that stuff out?

    Thanks all.
     
    #1 Webslog, Aug 13, 2023
    Last edited: Aug 13, 2023
  2. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    2009 Prius
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    Yes I banged all that up with a hammer not enough to dent the spare tire sheet metal but all that stuff just popped right up with a sheet metal hammer which is a duck-billed hammer and then just rubbing it across it brought all that to pieces that I can vacuum up with the 2-in Shop-Vac hose where is that two and a quarter. And then after that I laid down this foam silver back Matt kind of looks like dynamat but it's not. I did not like it so put green rubber floor underlayment spray glued it down .
     
    #2 Tombukt2, Aug 13, 2023
  3. Johnny Cakes

    Johnny Cakes Senior Member

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    Sorry to hear of your troubles and I don't have an answer for you, but I just had to reply -- haven't heard that term since I was a kid!! :)
     
    #3 Johnny Cakes, Aug 13, 2023
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